Massage apparatus.



F. R. KUNKEL.

MASSAGE APPARATUS. Brummen FILED JULY 2a, 1909.

Patented June 18, 1912.

WITNESSES:

A'TTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH C0" WASHINUTON. D. C

y UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

FRED R. KUNKEL, OF EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- I-IOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

MASSAGE APPARATUS.

1,029,697. Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 28, 1909.

Patented Julie 18, 1912. serial No. 509,969.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED R. KUNKEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Massage Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus employed for massage operations, and it has for its object to provide a self-contained and compact machine or device in which an electric motor is utilized for driving an applicator, the degree of vibration of which may be adjusted when the machine is in operation as well as when it is at rest.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sect-ion of a machine embodying my invention and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

It has heretofore been more or less common practice to embody an electric motor in an apparatus to be utilized for massage operations and to provide means for adjusting the degree of vibration or other movement of the applicator. In all such instruments or machines with which I am acquainted, however, the motor and other operating parts have been located in either separate casings or separate chambers of a casing and the adjusting devices have been so complicated as to make the machine, as a whole, of such weight and dimensions as to be unwieldly and, to some extent, unsightly. I have, accordingly, devised an extremely simple and compact .combination of devices having a casing 1 of general elliptical form the rear portion 2 of which is readily detachable and is fastened to the front or main portion by means of screws 3, or otherwise. The main .portion of the casing is also provided with a handle 4 which may be fastened thereto or be formed as an integral part thereof, the latter being preferable. The main portion ofthe casing l is provided, at opposite sides, with integral field magnet pole pieces 5, the casing being of iron or steel in order to provide a suitable magnetic circuit.

Mounted upon the pole pieces 5, are suitably formed magnet coils 6. A hollow rod or shaft 7 is rigidly mounted in a support 7a which is fastened to, or constitutes, an integral part of the casing and serves as a bearing support for a sleeve or quill SFL upon which the armature 8 and the commutator cylinder 9 are mounted. Brushes for conveying t-he current to the commutator cylinder may be of usual structure and arrangement, and it is therefore not deemed necessary to show them in t-he drawing. The

1n the form of a tubular block l1, the rear portion of which projects laterally, at a suit-able angle to the axis of the machine, a screw 10 being inserted in the rear end of the rod or shaft 7 to coperate with the support 7a in preventing longitudinal displacement of the rotating parts. Located in the tubular block 11 is a ball 12, the stem 13 of which projects rearwardly and is expanded to form a flange 14 which is riveted to the rear end of an approximately elliptical yoke or frame 15. The front end of the frame 15 is riveted, or otherwise secured, to the rear end of an applicator shaft 16 into the front end of which is screwed the stem 17 of the applicator 1S.

The shaft 16 is enlarged intermediate it-s ends to approximately the form of a ball 19 and this enlargement is set in a recess or seat in a longitudinally adjustable cylinder 20, the ball being locked in position in its seat by means of a nut 21, the inner face of which is also provided .with a segmental seat which supplements that of the cylinder itself.

The main casing is provided with an extension 22 having an external screw-thread and a longitudinal slot 23 in one side. The longitudinally adjustable cylinder 2O is provided with a radially disposed pin 24 which projects through the slot 23 and into an annular recess or groove 25 in the inner face of a screw-cap 26 which is mounted upon the screw-threaded extension 22.

Zhen the parts are in the positions indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the operation of the motor will effect no movement of the applicator, since the center of the ball 12 is in alinement with the axis of the motor shaft and also the applicator shaft. Upon turning the screw-cap 26 upon the frame extension 22 in the proper direction, however, the cylinder 20 will be forced inwardly and obviously, this movement of the cylinder will carry with it the yoke or frame 15, and, since the ball 12 can move only in the angurear end of the sleeve or quill 81 is extended larly disposed channel in which it is located, this movement Will serve to impart a lateral movement to the rear end of the yoke or frame 15 and, consequently, Will turn the applicator shaft into an angular position With reference to the motor shaft. The operation of the motor will now necessarily impart a vibratory motion to the applicator, and the degree of such vibratory motion Will depend upon the extent of adjustment of the screw-cap 26.

While a yoke or frame 15 of substantially the form shown is of light Weight and also sufficiently rigid to perform the functions satisfactorily, substantially one-half of it would suffice provided its cross section was such as to afford the necessary degree of rigidity.

l/Vhile no stops are shown to prevent rotative movement of the yoke 15, such stops may be provided on the casing or the ield magnet coils may be relied upon to prevent such movement, except to a limited degree.

It Will be observed that the arrangement of parts is such that a slight adjustment of the cap 26 Will effect a relatively large variation in the degree of vibration of the applicator and substantially all of the apparatus, except the applicator, is contained Within a very small casing of symmetrical contour. 'While the parts are so arranged and combined as to occupy a minimum amount of space, they are readily accessible and the adjustable elements are durable and easily manipulated.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an electric motor, of a yoke surrounding the armature of said motor, and having a laterally adjustable connection between one of its ends and the motor armature, a longitudinally adjustable bearing for the other end of the yoke and an applicator projecting from the bearing end of said yoke.

2. The combination With a casing having a slotted and externally screw-threaded projection at one end and an internal iield magnet structure, of an armature, a yoke surrounding said armature and having a laterally adjustable connection With its rear end, bearing block for the front end ot the yoke, a screw-cap on the casing eXtension for adjusting said bearing block to effect lateral adjustment of the rear end of the yoke, and an applicator projecting from the front end of the yoke.

3. In a massage implement, the combination with an inclosed electric motor, and an applicator, of a yoke having `a ball and socket connection to the front end of the motor casing and a laterally adjustable connection to the rear end of the motor armature, and means for adjusting said ball and socket connection longitudinally to eii'ect lateral adjustment of said rear end connection.

4. A. massage implement comprising an inclosed electric motor, a pivotally mounted applicator at the front end of the implement, a yoke or frame having a rigid connection to the applicator and a ball and inclined socket connection to the rear end ot' the motor armature, and means for moving the applicator, its pivotal support and the yoke or Jframe longitudinally to eiiect adjustment of the rear end ball in its inclined socket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21st day of July,

FRED R. KUNKEL.

lVtnesses C. A. M. WEBER, B. B. HINES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

